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vICToR E. DoREMUs, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIeNoR oF CNE-HALE lTo PATRICK T. w-ALL, oE SAME PLACE.

.BACK-PEDALING BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,907, dated January 3, 1899.

Application filed March 10, 1897- Serial N0. 626 ,765. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR E. DoREMUs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, (Brooklym) county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving-Gears and Brake Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to improvements in 'driving-gear and brake mechanism. for bicycles or other similar vehicles, the objects thereof being to provide means for releasing the driving-sprocket from the pedal-shaft to admit of resting on the pedals while coasting and for applying a brake tothe rear wheel of the bicycle by the simple action of back-pedaling. The structure comprises few and simple parts, assembled in such a manner as to minimize friction. ceptible of attachment to any standard wheel and it is light in weight, durable, and inexpensive.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the annexed claim.

In the accompanying drawings,forming part of this speciiicatiomFigure l is a side elevation of the rear portion of a bicycle having my improved device attached thereto. In this view parts of the frame are broken away to illustrate clearly the construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on line o: o: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation taken on line y y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation illustrating a modification of my invention.

In the practice of my invention the eX- tended end a of an ordinary pedal-shaft A is provided with a series of peripheral pockets a. These said pockets are substantially wedge shape in cross-section, and they terminate in concave sockets d2, adapted to receive metallic spheres B. The shaft is further supplied With a series of concave sockets c, adapted to receive ball-bearings C,upon which the driving sprocket-wheel D is mounted.

Located centrally of the shaft A is an annular series of pockets E, which are wedge sockets g, which contain ball-bearings G,

adapted for carrying a collar H. Said collar has a cam h projected therefrom, adapted for 6o operating a brake I, and rotation of the collar is limited by means of a stop h', leading through the hub 1 of the bicycle-frame.

To prevent lateral motion of the collar II upon the shaft- A, auxiliary collars h2 are se- 6 cured to the shaft at each side of the said collar I-I.

Pedal-cranks 2 are secured to the respec- -tive ends of the shaft A as a means for driv ing the wheel, and the customary chain is 7o used for connecting the sprocket-Wheel D to the rear sprocket forming part of the traction- Wheel 3.

The brake I employ as a part of my invention comprises a rod z', a shoe d, and a 75 spring J. The rod t' is journaled through the cross-brace 4, which connects the two arms of the longitudinal fork 5 of the bicycleframe. Projected upwardly from the inner end of the rod t is an arm 2, which has a projection s 8o extended therefrom parallel with the rod I. This said projection passes through an opening in the hubvl and engages with the cam h of the collar H. The spring J is normally extended, one end thereof bearing against the cross-brace 4 and the other against a collar j, surrounding the rod t.

The shaft A is mounted upon the customary ball-bearings 6, and it is substantially like an ordinary pedal-shaft, with the eXcep- 9o tion that it should be composed of hardened steel.

The hub of the sprocket-wheel D and the collar I-I are also composed of hardened steel to minimize the wear caused by frictional Contact with the spheres and loall-bearings` comprised in the construction of the device.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings the collar H is supplied, in lieu of the cam h, with an annular series of teeth Ioo h3.

These said teeth engage with a rack h4, formed upon the lower surface of the projected portion t of the rod In this construction instead of the spiral spring J, I employ a coil-spring .I for maintaining the brake-shoe out of contact with the rear traction-wheel 3 of the bicycle.

In the operation and use of the device rotary motion is applied to the sprocket-wheel D in the direction of the arrow 7 by the ordinary action of pedaling in a forward direction. This action revolves the shaft A, to which the pedal-cranks are attached, in the direction of the arrow 7, whereby the spheres B are jammed between the pockets a and the hub of the sprocket-wheel D and secure conneotion bet-ween the hub of the sprocketwheel, and the pedal-shaft is maintained as long as the pedals are moving in a forward direction, whereby the customary chain is driven and poweris communicated to the rear wheel of the machine. During this forward movement of the pedals the collar I-I is maintained in a stationary position, owing to the fact that the pockets E,containing the spheres F, are extended in an opposite direction to the pockets a', which contain the spheres B. This will allow the spheres F to simply revolve within their sockets c without applying any motion to the collar I-I. When it is desired to release the sprocket-wheel from the shaft A, it is simply necessary to force the pedals in a backward direction. This will allow the balls B to drop into their sockets 0,2, whereby the sprocket-wheel may continue to revolve in a forward direction upon the said balls B and the ball-bearings C without danger of jamming and with butV slight friction, whereby a rider cau rest on his pedals for the purpose of coasting upon a downgrade. If it is desired to retard the speed of the vehicle and apply the brake,a further backward pressure upon the pedals will rotate the shaft A in a rearward direction and jam the spheres F between the pockets E and the inner surface of the collar H, whereby said collar can be rotated until its cam 7i forces the rod in a rearward direction to a sufficient extent to' allow the brake-shoe to tightly engage with the tire of a wheel 3, whereby the machine can be stopped or its speed slackened. When it is desired to again operate the machine in a forward direction,the rider will simply move his pedals forwardly and instantaneous connection will be made with the sprocket-wheel, the same operation being continued indeinitely, depending upon the requirements of the rider.

I do not confine myself to the speciiic de tails of a mere mechanical construction as herein described and shown, as it is obvious that under the scope of my invention I am entitled to variations of structural detail. For instance, I may substitute a clutch comprising swinging dogs for the spheres and their tapered pockets, and it is also obvious that rolls can be substituted for the spheres B and F for the purpose of providing a larger frictional contact respectively with the hub of the driving-gear or sprocket-wheel D and the i collar H.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with a spring-actuated brake-shoe, having an operating-rod mounted thereon, said rod j ou rnaled through the crossbraee of the rear fork and extended through the crank-hanger of a bicycle-frame, a clutch mechanism embodying a collar having a cam thereon, and mounted upon the crank-shaft in such a manner as to act on the brake only when the shaft is rotated in a rearward direction, and a driving-sprocket adapted to be automatically locked when said shaft is rotated forwardly and automatically unlocked when said shaft is rotated rearwardly, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of March, 1897.

VICTOR E. DOREMUS.

IVitnesses:

C. SEDewIcK, B. MoCoMB. 

